McGhee hopes Lions are bores

Mark McGhee believes his old club Millwall can pull off an FA Cup upset against Manchester United and wreck Sir Alex Ferguson's season. But they will have to make Saturday's final a television turn-off to lift the trophy.

McGhee knows the Millwall team as well as anyone after managing them for three years until last October and is realistic about their task.

They have an injury crisis and will be missing key players including Danny Dichio (suspended), Kevin Muscat and Andy Roberts when they face a United team desperate to make the most of their final chance of silverware this season.

It will also be the first time Millwall have encountered Premiership opposition in this FA Cup campaign.

But McGhee, now in charge of a Brighton side who beat Swindon 1-0 yesterday in a Division Two play-off semi-final first-leg, can see a glimmer of hope for his old club in their first final. They just have to forget about entertaining. He said: "It will be difficult for Millwall to win but I don't think anything is impossible.

"If they were playing Arsenal then I would put my house on Arsene Wenger's side lifting the trophy.

"But they are facing a United side who are inconsistent and have not by any means been at their best.

"Ruud van Nistelrooy is one of their main dangers and even though he is always a threat, he is not in the same form that he was at the beginning of the season, and Louis Saha is Cup-tied.

"Millwall will have to show the right resolve about not conceding and they will have to spoil things a bit to take the wind out of United's sails.

"If they make it an open Cup Final and try to entertain then United will win. If they can keep it tight then one of Millwall's match-winners could nick a goal."

Tim Cahill and Paul Ifill are the men McGhee thinks are the Millwall players most likely to worry United.

As the team's attacking midfielders, they also contribute in the goalscoring department and have been tipped to play in the Premiership.

"If Millwall are going to have a chance of winning then those two are going to be the key players," said McGhee.

"If the team are forced to defend, and they probably will be for most of the game, then they are the ones who can counter-attack successfully.

"They are both physically and mentally strong and can go on to play at a higher level."